Microelectrode techniques have been utilized to study salivary function for the past 15 years, but with exception of studies in our laboratory, the data have been exclusively collected from submaxillary glands. Recent experiments in the submaxillary glands of cats have theorized the existence of two kinds of transport in acinar cells; a) sodium extrusion coupled with potassium uptake responsible for maintenance of concentration gradients across cell membranes; b) sodium transport coupled with chloride transport into the lumina responsible for formation of the primary secretion of saliva. We have utilized close arterial perfusion of the parotid glands of cats and measured venous return, salivary outflow, and transmembrane potentials in both the resting state and the secreting state; our data agrees with that found in submaxillary glands. By working in parotid, we are dealing with only one type of acinar cell and we can identify the cells from which we record by iontophoretic staining through the microelectrode. Recently we have in collaboration with Dr. Andre J. Nahmias of the Dept. of Pediatrics of Emory University School of Medicine, been interested in changes induced by various viruses in tissue culture cells (see enclosed manuscripts and papers). The virus group to which we have devoted most of our time has been the Herpes virus group. We have been able to duplicate the cell changes found in vitro by injecting feline rhinotracheitis virus retroductally into the parotid glands of cats. We have observed altered transmembrane potentials and evidence of intranuclear inclusion bodies in the cat acinar cells. Thus we would like to propose a study of the effect of viruses on membrane transport phenomena utilizing the parotid gland of cat as a model system. We feel that our experimental protocol will demonstrate that we possess all necessary techniques to perform these studies. We feel that we can compare the data obtained in virus infected cells with approximately 7 years of data in uninfected salivary glands. One further objective in the present study will be to study the effect of the mediator cyclic AMP on salivary ion transport.